Beat the Competition and get the Job you Want

Know Your Competition

I recently found this post on a blog that is written by an ex-HR Manager. It’s about a guy who really, really wanted a job. So he applied a unique approach to finding out who his competition was. He posted a phony advert for a similar job on an online job website. He then waited to see who applied, and found out what kind of experience and skills they had.

He then used this information to identify how he was different from the competition and what he could offer that no one else could. Then he applied for the real job that he wanted. Apparently, it worked and he got the job.

Obviously this is an immoral thing to do and I am certainly not advocating that you do this. It is also probably an urban legend BUT it demonstrates a good point.

Stand out from the Competition

Of course you want to stand out from the crowd, beat the competition and get the job you want. You do not need detailed CVs and application forms of the other applicants to do this. Instead, focus on yourself and work out the skills and experience you have that make you different/better.

When you write an application form try to think of what makes you unique and what you can bring to the company that no one else can.

You can demonstrate this in your CV and application form. You can refer to these previous posts for tips on both these things:

Your personal statement and covering letter are also excellent opportunities to promote you key strengths and skills.

How to Recognise Your Key Skills

This may sound silly, but we frequently have people who come to C2 who find it difficult to identify their key skills and experiences that make them right for the job they are applying for. They frequently have excellent experience that they overlook because they get too caught up in the finer details of what they did in previous roles, and miss the bigger picture- i.e. what they learnt and what skills were developed.

When you think about your previous experiences always think about the transferable skills that you developed. Then emphasise what you learnt alongside what you actually did.

Of course, if you would like some help identifying your key skills and presenting them effectively to employers, one of our advisers at C2 would be happy to help. Visit our website for more details on the services we offer: www.c2careers.com

Categories

C2 Consultancy

We have worked, and are working, with a diverse range of companies and membership organisations to ensure that they are able to attract, recruit, retain and retrain the employees that they need for success.